Lamp shade and covering therefor



Aug. 29, 193 9. A. BURKE LAMP SHADE AND COVERING THEREFOR Filed March 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3maentor HLFRED .B URKE (Ittomeg Aug. 29, 1939. .A. BURKE 2,171,137

LAMP SHADE AND COVERING THEREFOR Filed March 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zhwentor ,qLFREp BURKE,

gwwain'aw (Ittomeg Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp shades and, more particularly, to pleated or fluted lamp shade coverings constructed and arranged to be detachably connected to peripheral frame members.

One object of the invention is to provide a lamp shade comprising a peripheral frame member and a fluted or pleated covering of improved appearance and constructed and arranged to have a quick attachable and detachable connection with the frame member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the lamp shade covering, although pleated or fluted, can be made of a comparatively smaller amount of sheet material, as for example, by flattening the pleats or flutes and yet attached to the frame in such manner that the latter is concealed from view, while at the same time the covering is of enhanced ornamental appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp shade having a fluted or pleated covering attached to the frame and detachably fastened in position by a cord in such manner that it is unnecessary to thread the cord through the openings in the lamp shade covering.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lamp shade having a fluted or pleated covering fastened in position by one or more cords, or the like, on which beads or other enlargements are strung or carried, with the beads positioned between the pleated or fluted portions, the arrangement being such that the cord or cords carrying such beads or enlargements can be applied as a unit whereby it is possible to attach the beads to the cords before the latter are attached to the lamp shade cover.

A yet further object of the invention is generally to produce for sale at low cost lamp shades and covers therefor of simple construction and of improved appearance.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the following description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a lamp shade embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the covering material;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to-Fig. 1 showing another form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the part of the lamp shade showing the attaching cords provided with beads or other ornamental elements strung thereon or carried thereby;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing another type of ornamental cord; 5

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of shade coyering material utilized in accordance with a further form 'of the invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views on the lines 8-8 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. '7. I 10 Referring now to the drawings in detail, and

first to the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, the lamp shade Ill comprises, as here shown, an upper peripheral frame member I2 which is preferably in the form of a closed ring, 15 and which may carry a supporting fixture I4 of any customary or preferred type. Said shade also comprises a lower peripheral frame member I6 which is also preferably in the form of a closed ring similar to the ring 12- but of larger diameter. 20 The lamp shade covering I8 is of relatively stiff sheet material, such as stiffened cloth, silk, Celluloid, Cellophane, rayon, cellulose acetate (in woven or non-woven or sheet form), paper, etc., whereby said covering is self-sustaining between the upper 25 and lower rings I2 and I6 wherby to eliminate the use of vertical frame rods.

The lamp shade covering I8-is formed from the material shown in further detail in Figs. 2 and ,3. As here shown, the material is fluted or pleated 30 and is provided Witha series of openings 20 therethrough in the folds between the pleats or flutes 22. Said openings or notches 20 are disposed in spaced relation and extend longitudinally of the material of the covering adjacent one edge 35 thereof, and peripherally of the lamp shade covering when the latter is bent into frusto-conical form for attachment to the frame members. Another series of openings 2 I formed through the material is disposed in the pleats or flutes 22, 40 preferably one in each flute and centrally disposed therein and arranged in such manner that said openings are in peripheral alignment with the first mentioned openings 20. Two other series of openings 20 and 24 are formed in the covering 45 I8 adjacent the lower edge thereof. When said covering is applied to the frame members, as illustrated in Fig. 1, said frame members engage said covering in the series of openings 20. The openings in which the frame members are en- 50 gaged are accordingly of such width that the edges of the material at said openings grip the frame members. Cords, or the like, 26 are disposed on the outer surface of said lamp shade covering I8 and engage the latter in openings 24, 55

the ends of the cord being tied or otherwise fastened to hold the covering releasably but securely in engagement with frame members I? and Hi. It will be understood that while two frame members are preferred, the lamp shade shown may comprise only the upper frame member l2 and the companion cord 26, or more than two, say three, members may be used if desired. By arranging the series of openings substantially in peripheral alignment with each other, the cords 26 conceal from view the portions of the rings which are positioned in notches 20 and which might otherwise be visible in the absence of the overlying cords. Said cords are preferably constructed of loosely twisted yarn or threads whereby they have a good coverage for the frame members and can also be readily inserted in and removed from openings 24.

As illustrated, openings 24 are in the form of slots extending peripherally of the covering l8 and it will be noticed that said slots have narrow intermediate portions 28 and somewhat larger end portions 36. When the fiufiy or compressible cord is engaged in said slots, the narrow portions 28 thereof compress and frictionally engage the material as indicated at 32 in Fig. 1, while intermediate portions of said cords, as indicated at 34, are uncompressed and hence possess the coverage quality desirable for concealing the frame portions positioned in the notches 29.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the lamp shade cover l8a of the lamp shade llia is attached to the upper and lower peripheral frame members I21: and Mia, respectively, the organization being substantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1. The covering 18a, however, is disposed with the flutes or pleats 22 inwardly conveXed instead of outwardly convexed as in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the rings 82a and Ida are received in the slots 24 while the cords 26a, which may be generally similar to the cords 26, are disposed in the notches 26. Thus, the material for forming the shade covering l8a may be provided with the series of openings 23 and 24 by means of the same cutting or punching die utilized for forming the corresponding notches or openings in the material for the lamp shade covering 58. It will be understood that the material such as that illustrated in Fig. 2 may be utilized for both the shade coverings l8 and lBa, it being merely necessary to bend the material circumferentially of the frame in the proper direction for positioning the pleats or flutes- 22 whereby the latter are convexed in the desired direction, that is, convexed outwardly as shown in Fig. l, or convexed inwardly as shown in Fig. 4. It will be observed further that in the construction shown in Fig. 4, the notches 20 engage comparatively small portions of the cords 26a, leaving the intermediate portions Ma uncompressed so that said last mentioned portions substantially completely conceal and overly the portions of the frame positioned in the slots 24.

As illustrated in Figs. and 6 the tying cords are provided with spaced enlargements which are positioned between the adjacent pleats 22. As illustrated in Fig. 5, for example, the enlargements are constituted by beads or the like 36 strung on the cord 261). As the cords are engaged in the open slots 24 the beads, or other enlargements, 3% may be applied to the cords before the latter are attached to the shade covering. This eliminates the necessity for threading the cord through holes in the pleats and for successively and individually applyingthe beads or other enlargements strung on the cords at the time the latter are attached to the shade coverings.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the cords 260 are provided with enlargements 38 arranged in spaced relation peripherally of the cords which, in spite of the provision of said enlargements can be easily attached in position by reason of the open slots 24 in which the narrow portions 39 of the cords 26 can be readily inserted and removed, the necessity for threading the cords through holes in the pleats having been eliminated in this form of the invention as well as in the other forms hereinbefore described.

Instead of providing the shade covering mate rial with openings therethrough, such as the openings 29 and 24 referred to in connection with the forms of the invention hereinbefore described,

the shade covering may be provided with depressions or recesses 40 and 42 as illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9; In other respects the shade covering here shown is preferably the same as described above, but it will be understood that the peripheral frame members or the tying cords are received in depressions ill and 42, respectively, when the shade covering is disposed with outwardly con- VeXed pleats or flutes as illustrated in Fig. 1, or in depressions 52 and ii], respectively, when the shade covering is disposed with the flutes arranged inwardly convexed as in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4.

Thus, it is seen that the lamp shade and the covering therefor herein shown and described are well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the invention. It will be understood, however, that while I have shown several forms of the invention, the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown and described, and that in the illustrated embodiments certain changes may be made and will occur to skilled artisans in view of the present disclosure. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the constructions herein shown or described, or to any of such constructions, except as may be required by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lamp: shade comprising a peripheral frame member, a fluted covering carried by said peripheral member and for that purpose provided with spaced notches in which said peripheral member is engaged by said covering, and means for fastening said covering to said member comprising a cord or the like extending around said covering on the outer surface thereof in engagement therewith, said covering having openings therein arranged in spaced relation between said notches susbtantially in alignment therewith peripherally of the shade, and said cord engaging said covering in said openings in position to substantially conceal the portions of said peripheral member in the notches from view externally of the shade.

2. A lamp shade comprising a peripheral frame member, afluted covering of relatively stiff sheet material carried by said frame member, said covering having a series of openings arranged in spaced relation peripherally thereof in the folds of the flutes and a series of openings arranged in peripheral spaced relation in said flutes between said folds and substantially in peripheral alignment with said first openings, said first men tioned openings forming notches open at the inner surface of said covering for engaging said frame, said other openings forming notches open atthe outer surfaceof said covering, and a cord 76.

or the like disposed in said notchesopen on, the outer surface of said covering for fastening said covering to said frame member. 3. A lamp shade comprising upper and lower peripheral frame members, a fluted covering of relatively stiff sheet material carried by said members with the flutes extending longitudinally in a direction from the upper to the lower edge of the covering, said covering having a series of openings arranged in spaced relation peripherally thereof in the folds of the flutes and a series of openings arranged in peripheral spaced relation in said flutes between said folds and substantially in peripheral alignment with said first openings, said first mentioned openings forming notches open at the inner surface of said covering for engaging one of said frame members, said other: openings forming notches open at the outer surface of said covering, and a cord or the like disposed in said notches open on the outer surface of said covering and engaging the latter and two other series of openings in the folds of said flutes and in said flutes between said folds, respectively, forming notches open at the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of said covering, the other frame member engaging said covering in said last mentioned notches open at the inner surface of said covering, and a second cord or the like disposed in said last mentioned notches open on the outer surface of said covering and engaging the latter, said cords serving to fasten the covering to said frame members and to conceal said frame members. 4. A lamp shade comprising upper and lower peripheral frame members, a fluted covering of relatively stiff sheet material carried, by said members with the flutes extending longitudinally in a direction from the upper to the lower edge of the covering, said covering having a series of openings arranged in spaced relation peripherally thereof in the folds of the flutes and a series of openings arranged in peripheral spaced relation in said flutes between said folds and substantially in peripheral alignment with said first openings, said first mentioned openings forming notches open at the inner surface of said covering for engaging one of said frame members, said other openings forming notches open at the outer surface of said covering, and

a cord or the like disposed in said notches open on the outer surface of said covering and engaging the latter, and two other series of openings in the folds of said flutes and in said flutes between said folds, respectively, forming notches open at the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of said covering, the other frame member engaging said covering in said last mentioned notches open at the inner surface of said covering, and a second cord or the like disposed in said last mentioned notches open on the outer surface of said covering and engaging the latter, said cords serving to fasten the covering to said frame members, and members carried by at least one of said cords in spaced relation thereon and positioned between adjacent flutes, said last mentioned members being larger than said openings and being attachable to and removable from said covering in unitary relation with the cord on which they are carried.

5. A lamp shade comprising a peripheral frame member, a fluted covering of relatively stifi sheet material carried by said frame member, said covering having a series of openings arranged in spaced relation peripherally thereof in the folds of the flutes and a series of openings arranged in peripheral spaced relation in the flutes between said folds and substantially in peripheral alignment with said first openings, said first mentioned openings forming notches open at the inner surface of said covering for engaging said frame, said other openings forming notches open at the outer surface of said covering, and a cord or the like disposed in said notches open on the outer surface of said covering for fastening said covering to said frame member, and beads which are larger than said openings strung on said cords and positioned between adjacent pleats, said cord and beads being attachable and removable as a unit to and from said covering.

6. A lamp shade comprising a peripheral frame member, a shade covering formed of selfsustaining relatively stiff material having flutes formed therein, said covering having recesses formed in said flutes and in the folded portions therebetween and disposed in peripherally spaced relation, some of said recesses being open only at one side of the covering and other of said recesses being open only at the other side of said covering, the frame member engaging the covering in said recesses at one side of the covering, and a cord engaging the outer surface of said shade covering in the other of said recesses.

- ALFRED BURKE. 

